


Cupcakes

by Robin Hood (kjack89)



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon, Birthday Fluff, Developing Relationship, Fluff, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-23
Updated: 2018-02-23
Packaged: 2019-03-23 02:44:53
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13778004
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kjack89/pseuds/Robin%20Hood
Summary: "Do you think Barba likes chocolate or vanilla?" Carisi asked idly, leaning back in his chair and staring off into space.Rollins glanced up at him. "You planning on finally asking Barba out?" she teased. "Taking him for ice cream? Very PG of you, but hey, it's taken you this long to even work your way to ice cream so I guess I shouldn't be surprised..."Carisi flicked a paperclip at her which she dodged, her grin widening. "No," Carisi said, more defensively than he intended. "It's his birthday this week and I was gonna make him a cake."





	Cupcakes

**Author's Note:**

  * For [rai_m](https://archiveofourown.org/users/rai_m/gifts).



> The happiest of (slightly early, because I can't timezone for shit) birthdays to the lovely Rai, who requested developing relationship fluff, but left the details up to me, which is frankly always a mistake.
> 
> Unbeta'd and I'm sick af at the moment so likely typo-filled, so, you know, be kind until I can fix them.
> 
> Usual disclaimer. Please be kind and tip your fanfic writers in the form of comments and/or kudos!

"Do you think Barba likes chocolate or vanilla?" Carisi asked idly, leaning back in his chair and staring off into space.

Rollins glanced up at him. "You planning on finally asking Barba out?" she teased. "Taking him for ice cream? Very PG of you, but hey, it's taken you this long to even work your way to ice cream so I guess I shouldn't be surprised..."

Carisi flicked a paperclip at her which she dodged, her grin widening. "No," Carisi said, more defensively than he intended. "It's his birthday this week and I was gonna make him a cake." Her lips twitched and he glared at her. "And before you say anything, I've made cakes for everyone of you on your birthdays, including Fin and the Lieu. So unless you think I wanna take Fin out as well—"

Fin had the unfortunate pleasure of returning from the breakroom just in time to overhear that, and he gave Carisi a blank look as he settled into his seat. "I don't even want to know," he said, before adding, "But for the record, Carisi, I'm flattered, but I've been seeing someone."

Rollins snorted into her coffee mug and Carisi blushed a mottled shade of red. "That wasn't—I mean, I wasn't—" he spluttered, but he couldn't seem to find the words to make it better.

"Oh for Christ's sake, Carisi, if you want to know what flavor Barba likes, why not just ask him?" Rollins sighed, torn between exasperation and amusement.

"Because then he'd know what I'm planning on surprising him with," Carisi shot back. He brightened. "But I could always find another way to figure it out." He stood, grabbing his coat off the back of his chair. "Thanks, Rollins. I'll see you later."

He headed out of the precinct and Rollins swiveled to arch an eyebrow at Fin. "What do you think?" she asked. "Chocolate or vanilla?"

Fin shrugged noncommittally and didn't look up from his paperwork. "If the way Barba flirts with Carisi's pasty ass is any indication, Barba likes vanilla."

Rollins grinned. "That was exactly my thought."

* * *

 

 

Carisi knocked on Barba's office door and poked his head in before Barba could say anything. "Hey Counselor," he said brightly. "Now before you bite my head off, I come bearing gifts."

"Please tell me you brought me alcohol," Barba said, rubbing his eyes as he glanced up at Carisi, a small smile crossing his face.

"I know damn well you've got a bottle of the good stuff stashed away," Carisi said easily, stepping into Barba's office. "Besides, I'll do you one better than alcohol — I come bearing caffeine."

Barba's eyes lit up and he actually made grabby hands toward Carisi, who laughed and passed the cup of coffee over. Barba took a long sip before glancing back up at him. "Did you say you came bearing gifts, plural?" he asked, taking another sip. "Please don't tell me you're now classifying paperwork as 'gifts', or I'm drastically reconsider what I get you for Christmas."

Carisi snorted a laugh and shook his head. "Nah, for once, I don't have any files or paperwork for you. Only this." He set the small box down on Barba's desk and Barba frowned at it before glancing up at him questioningly. "The café was running a special," Carisi said quickly, as Barba reached for the box and carefully opened it. "Buy two coffees get a free baked good, and so I figured the safest bet was, you know, a cupcake, and I didn't know if you preferred chocolate or vanilla so I went with the safe choice, vanilla, and—"

Barba held a hand up to forestall any further rambling. "Thank you, Carisi," he said, with more than a little amusement. "Vanilla is fine. Besides, isn't it the thought that counts?"

Carisi half-smiled and shrugged. "Something like that anyway."

He watched Barba intensely, but Barba seemed content to just drink his coffee, and after a long moment, glanced back up at him. "Did you need something else, Detective?"

Carisi started. "Oh. Uh. No, sorry. I, uh..." He rubbed the back of his neck. "Um. Enjoy, I guess, and I'll, uh, I'll see you later."

He made a hasty mistake before he could blush and Barba could  _really_ mock him.

As he made his way back to the elevator, he worried his lower lip between his teeth. Vanilla was  _fine_ , Barba had said. That wasn't exactly a definitive answer.

Carisi felt himself smile.

That just meant he'd have to try again.

* * *

 

The next time, Carisi met Barba outside of court. "Figured you'd need some sustenance," he said brightly, handing the chocolate cupcake to Barba, who looked from it to Carisi, eyebrows raised in surprise.

"I do enjoy chocolate," Barba said mildly. "Thank you." He hesitated. "But you also brought me coffee, right? Because as much as I may enjoy chocolate..."

Carisi rolled his eyes but obediently passed the cup over. Barba lifted the cup in a slight toast and smiled at Carisi, a genuine if still slightly-bemused smile. "Thanks, Carisi."

As Carisi watched him disappear back inside the courtroom, he tried to decide if enjoying chocolate was as enthusiastic a response as he was going to get, then checked his watch. He had four days before he needed to figure it out for sure. 

Which meant it couldn't hurt to try a few different flavors.

* * *

 

 

But no matter what flavor Carisi brought Barba, it was met with the same polite gratitude. Salted caramel, coconut, carrot cake — Barba always accepted the cupcake and then worked on draining the coffee Carisi had also brought him.

"It'd be easier if he outright hated something," Carisi sighed to Rollins, who rolled her eyes, having heard this spiel several times over. "I mean, it'd at least give me something to work with, you know?"

"I know that if you don't shut up about cupcakes, I'm gonna snap and probably kill you," Rollins said mildly. Carisi looked put out enough that she sighed, her expression softening. "So what flavor are you trying today?"

Carisi frowned at her. "You don't actually wanna know," he said dismissively, looking down at the paperwork he was ostensibly meant to be finishing.

"Sure I do," Rollins said, her voice turning sweet. "C'mon, Sonny. What's the flavor? What's your last ditch effort to try to win the prickly ADA's heart over?"

Though Carisi's scowl deepened, he jerked a shrug and muttered, "Lemon curd. Figured I'd try something different in hopes it would, you know, get a reaction. And besides, we're reaching the end of what I'm able to actually bake."

"Fair enough," Rollins said easily. She hesitated. "So to verify, that means this little experiment's going to be over soon and I'll never have to hear about cupcakes again, right?"

Carisi just rolled his eyes.

Still, he was in a decent mood as he strolled down the halls of One Hogan Place, requisite cup of coffee and cupcake box in hand. Carmen looked up when he approached, her eyes widening. "No," she said firmly, moving to stand in between him and Barba's office door, her arms crossed in front of her chest. "No, I'm drawing the line."

Carisi stared at her, his good mood fading. "What's going on?" he asked.

Carmen glared at him. "What's going on is that Mr. Barba, for his many charming assets, doesn't like cake. And everytime you bring him a cupcake, he turns around and foists it off on me. I'm supposed to be on a diet ahead of a well-earned vacation, if I do say so myself, and whatever is going on here—" She waved a vague hand in Carisi's direction. "—is going to ruin it."

"He doesn't like cake?" Carisi repeated, incredulous, and Carmen rolled her eyes.

"Of course that's all you'd pick up on," she grumbled, and Carisi abandoned the cupcake on her desk to march into Barba's office.

"You don't like cake?" he demanded without preamble.

Barba blinked up at him. "Good to see you, too, Detective," he said pointedly. "My day's been going great, thanks for asking."

Carisi waved a dismissive hand. "Yeah, yeah, pleasantries, whatever." He put his hands on his hips and glared at Barba. "But all this time you've been letting me give you cupcakes and you don't even like cake?"

"It's...not a dessert I'm particularly fond of, no," Barba said hesitantly. He sat back in his seat and gave Carisi an appraising look. "Though I have to admit that I'm not entirely sure why you're this upset about my dessert preferences."

"Because..." Carisi broke off, realizing he didn't have a good explanation, save for the one option he was desperately hoping to avoid at all costs — the truth. "Because I was gonna make you a cake for your birthday, and I was trying to figure out what kind of cake you liked. And I coulda saved myself a lot of time and effort had you just told me that you didn't like cake."

Barba smiled, just slightly. "True," he acknowledged, "but you have kept coming by if I had just told you that?"

Carisi stared at him. "I..." He shrugged. "I dunno."

Barba stood, smoothing his tie and looking at Carisi evenly. "It's been a long week," he said calmly. "And if I've somehow caused you some consternation because your visits have been the only thing I've had to look forward to, then for that, I apologize."

Carisi was pretty sure his mouth was hanging open, and he shut it with a snap. "Uh...no need to apologize," he muttered, a blush rising in his cheeks.

Barba managed a real smile before offering, "Thank you, Carisi. Even if I don't like cake, I still genuinely appreciate the effort you went through."

Carisi shrugged and shoved his hands in his pockets. "It was nothing," he said automatically, though he paused and looked contemplatively at Barba. "Though if you wanted to make it up to me..."

Barba raised an eyebrow. "Go on."

"What would you want instead of cake?"

Barba blinked. "That's supposed to make it up to you?" he asked suspiciously.

Carisi smiled. "Well...that and you coming over tonight while I make it for you."

For a brief moment, Barba looked taken aback. Then he grinned. "That's awfully forward of you, Detective."

Shrugging again, Carisi told him honestly, "No more forward than bringing you cupcakes for a week."

Barba laughed. "Fair point," he said. "Fine. Tonight. I'll bring the supplies. You bring the talent."

"Deal," Carisi said easily, backing towards the door, his grin wide and bright. "Tonight." He hesitated. "Oh, and Barba?" Barba glanced up at him. "Happy Birthday."

Barba's expression softened. "Thank you, Carisi."

Carisi nodded and left. Carmen glanced up at him, took one look at his grin, and shook her head. "Finally," she muttered. 

Laughing, Carisi reached for the cupcake box. "Sorry about all this—" he started, but she smacked his hand away.

"Don't you dare take that," she scolded.

Carisi raised an eyebrow at her. "What about your diet?"

She waved a hand. "Whatever, I'll start next week." She smiled at him. "Besides, I'm celebrating."

"Yeah," Carisi said, his grin returning in full force. "So am I."

 


End file.
